Where and how to educate our children is one of the biggest decisions we make for them.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland the law states that ‘The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him to receive efficient full-time education suitable to: His age, ability and aptitude, and any special educational needs he may have, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.’

Education, like every other aspect of our children’s lives, is our responsibility as parents. But it is an area where our options are often hidden and it is easy to make choices without fully exploring the possibilities. The three basic options are state school, independent school and home education.

What would suit your child and family?

What suits one child or family won’t necessarily suit another. Some people use a mix of educational settings depending on what works for each of their children at any particular time. And don’t forget it needs to work for your family as a whole too. And of course your choices are not set in stone, you can always change your mind and use another option later.

What would suit your child?

Think about your child’s personality, abilities, needs and interests. Are they academically inclined, or would a setting with greater emphasis on sports or music be a better choice? Is your child very active or sensitive and better suited to an informal education or a later start to formal education?
What environment would suit your child? Think about the number of children and age range in a class or group. Should activities be child-led or directed by an adult?

What would suit you and your family circumstances?

Do you want to be actively involved in your child’s education? Can you provide or arrange full time care for home education? If you would prefer an independent school do you have the ability to pay? Is a local state school a better option because of travel arrangements?

What are your family values and parenting style?

Any adult that spends a significant amount of time with your child is going to have a major impact on your child. It may be important to you to choose an education that supports your family values. This may mean a faith school, an academically selective school, or one with a strong environmental, spiritual or creative focus. Or do you prefer the personalized, learning through life experiences opportunities afforded by home education?

There are many different approaches to education. Which education options are available in your local state school? If you have a Free School locally you may find it has a different approach to other state schools. Do you need to consider independent schools or home education to meet your requirements?

What compromises are you able to make?

How and where your child is educated has immediate financial and social impacts, as well as the long term influence on your child.

Are you able to forgo a salary if you would prefer to home educate, or can you earn enough to pay school fees if you would prefer an independent school? Are you happy for your child to travel further or board to go to a school that fits your requirements better?

4 Comments

Karen Rodgers

Posted July 7, 2010 at 7:55 PM

This is an article that all parents very much need to see before they take any decisions regarding their child’s education.Three questions which are not here but which would be important to consider are; what kind of environment do you want your child to spend his or her day surrounded by? What ethos do you want him or her to encounter? Who do you want to decide what your child needs to learns and how he needs to learn it?

Environment; A class of 30 all the same age with one adult where activities are changed every hour or so at the direction of the adult and in which most of the children do the same thing at the same time? (mainstream)

A class of 12-15 all the same age with one adult where activities are changed at the direction of the adult every hour or so and most of the children do the same thing at the same time?
(many private schools including from age 11 most Steiner schools)

A group of betwen 12 and 30 with one or two adults where the children with an age range of typically 3 years select their own activity . In which the older ones are role models and heros for the younger and the younger an audience for the older ones? (Montessori schools, some private, some State run eg Gorton Mount)

A predominantly home environment, often with children of mixed ages from other families, in which children do a mix of self-chosen and adult-led activities.(home education)

Ethos;
There is no such thing as a values-free Curriculum.The first thing a child learns about an adult whether teacher or member of the family is what that person considers to be important in life and children are very canny at finding this out within a surprisingly short time of meeting a new person.
For good or bad, an adult who spends a great deal of time or regular time with a child will have an influence on that child’s view of the world and of themselves.

Would you like a relativist, secular (and often consumerist) ethos for your child? (The National Curriculum makes this line obligatory in State schools and many private schools choose this path also, as do many home educators)

Would you prefer an ethos with a primarily spiritual focus? (some private schools and many home educators)

Who decides?
Who would you like to determine what your child needs from day to day and how these needs should be met?

An adult trained in delivering a Curriculum who is probably really dedicated and fond of children but who has so many to deal with and so many externally imposed targets to meet, that meeting individual children’s needs is a constant challenge?
(mainstream and some private schools)

An adult trained in delivering in a Curriculum who is probably really dedicated and fond of children, who has only a few children to deal with and fewer externally imposed targets to meet? (many private schools)

The child’s parents who are well attuned to his unique needs and who have decided to dedicate their time to meeting them?

This is a great article and I agree with Karen Rodgers – it’s one that is very important for all parents to read & consider when thinking about their children’s education.

All too often we take the easy way – the local school, whatever the parents around us are doing… But I feel that’s mostly because we don’t consider all the options. Most parents believe that if they can’t afford a private education their only choice is the local state school. This may be a good choice for the child concerned, but we should be sure that the choice has been made having fully explored every option.

Home education is something that few parents consider. I’m amazed how many think that it’s illegal or that if you home educate you have to follow OFSTED guidelines and the National Curriculum. But it is a valid and important option to consider and would suit many more children than are actually given the opportunity to learn this way. It certainly does have financial and social implications for the family who choose this way and shouldn’t be entered upon lightly. But at the same time it frees the whole family up to grow and learn in a more natural way.

Thank you for making us think.

Ann Hall
St Albans

Sara Sengenberger

Posted August 2, 2010 at 12:39 AM

I like it!

In saying “Some people use a mix of educational settings depending on what works for each of their children at any particular time” you’ve suggested that it’s possible to change from one educational setting to another, but I think it would be nice to state this more explicitly. When it comes to decisions about education, it seems to me that many parents are almost paralysed with fear of getting it wrong, and are left trying to predict what their children will need many years in advance. I think they might be reassured by the idea that it’s possible to decide what would suit the child right now, and then change later if necessary. It could be heartening to realise that other people do move children from one type of school to another, or in and out of home education, with good results.